Dear Felicien, Thanks for your question. Please also see my answer to Louison et Nans. Sailing an IMOCA Open 60 is usually so tiring that one can fall asleep anytime anyplace. In fact I’ve found in the last few days (I got no sleep for the first 36 hours in the big squalls) that I’ve nodded off sitting at the chart table, or making a bowl of granola for breakfast, my body stays upright but my mind is asleep. But this is not good! So I must catch up on sleep so as not to be so tired, because that is when you can make mistakes, in your thinking, or your actions on deck. Because of this fatigue, I haven’t had to use any relaxation techniques. Sometimes, though, I might use music to calm my mood if it is scary outside. I did this in the Southern Ocean for Vendée Globe 2008-9. I would listen to the Chants of the St. Benedictine Monks, and they were very soothing and calming. One night I listened to 72 chants in a row! That was a very stormy and scary night.
Question submitted by Félicien, Orléans, France